Grade 5 titanium | polished and satin-brushed
Limited edition of 20 watches
LM-130.20.50
Louis Moinet revisits the mechanics of time
The SPEED OF SOUND was a bold challenge that involved bringing the legendary Valjoux 88 calibre back to life and turning it into a contemporary masterpiece. The result is a full-fledged work of horological art combining tried-and-true mechanics with modern technology and avant-garde design. This timepiece takes us all the way from our home in Saint-Blaise to the infinite expanses of the cosmos. It thereby transcends the boundaries of time and space.
This edition comes in an exclusive series of just twenty pieces. It celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet and promises to make quite an impression on the watchmaking world.
Technical Data
Caliber Valjoux 88
Revisited historical movement
Manual
180000 VPH (2.5 Hz)
40 hours
Jewels: 17
40.7 mm
Hours. Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Moon phase
30 metres
Alligator
22 mm
Folding clasp
Grade 5 titanium | polished and satin-brushed
Dial: Guilloché with Aletai meteorite in the counters
Swiss made
Innovating a historic movement
“At the heart of SPEED OF SOUND is the Valjoux 88, a historic calibre built in the 1940s. Louis Moinet's master watchmakers have used all their skills to modernise this icon of Swiss watchmaking and place it inside a timepiece with a unique contemporary style.”
Jean-Marie Schaller
CEO & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
The transparent case back of the SPEED OF SOUND reveals the engraving, a traditional motif with floral curves and delicate scrolls reminiscent of lace. It bears witness to the ancestral art of hand engraving. This enchanting ensemble adds a touch of poetry to the mechanics of time.
Reinventing a lunar indication
Key to this intelligent and inventive transformation is the moon indication that has been entirely redesigned to offer a display never seen before in watchmaking. Its large, slightly domed disc features a lunar motif drawn by hand using luminescent paint that vividly recalls the splendour of our nightly celestial companion.
A fragment of the Dhofar 457, a rare lunar meteorite, was placed on the same disc to symbolise the full moon.
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An intensely black rock from a lunar crater
Dhofar 457 owes its intense black hue to its origin: a lunar crater. Following an initial impact on the Moon, a subsequent event dislodged a portion of the crater and propelled it into space, where it journeyed until it reached Earth, landing in the Dhofar desert, hence the name: Dhofar 457.
This fragment comes from a lunar crater. The two pointers positioned at 3 and 9 o'clock indicate the current state of the moon. The moon is full whenever the fragment is aligned with one of these pointers.
Connoisseurs will notice that the date markers have been removed, a deliberate choice to reinterpret this calibre in a resolutely modern spirit.
A modern interpretation
The SPEED OF SOUND's contemporary signature is expressed through a carefully crafted artistic design elements.
The dial blends deep black with the warm glow of red gold, a rich contrast of colours that underlines this timepiece’s truly unique identity. It was created with Yann von Kaenel's guilloché engines using traditional engraving techniques. The special design suggests a technological material. The pattern, which radiates mesmerising energy and interacts playfully with light whenever it moves. Sometimes it flashes brightly, at other times it seems to hide discreetly.
The chronograph counter and the small seconds dial feature the Aletai iron meteorite, adding both texture and a touch of mystery.
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Aletai Armanty Meteorite
This meteorite used to be known as Armanty, but is now known under the name Aletai. It is composed of a natural and extraterrestrial mix of iron and nickel. It comes from the heart of an asteroid weighing over one-hundred tons.
The picture is completed by carefully designed hands and indexes, which were kept purposely sober to avoid disturbing the aesthetic balance of the piece. The SPEED OF SOUND is housed in a 40-millimetre, grade 5 titanium case. It is elegant and light on the wrist. The sapphire dome, a technical feat in itself, magnifies every detail of the dial, while the openworked horns allow the bracelet to fit in perfectly.
Speed of Sound
Measuring the speed of sound
SPEED OF SOUND is the modern version of the telemeter, a device that measures distances by using the speed of sound. In the case of a thunderstorm, for example, when lightning strikes, you start the chronograph and stop it when you hear the thunder.
